# How Many Paywalls Show a Restore-Purchases Link or Close Button?

Source: Lazyweb Research
Published: 2026-07-07
Sample size: n=1204
Tags: paywall, monetization, mobile, ux-patterns, cancellation
HTML: https://www.lazyweb.com/research/paywall-restore-and-close-button-prevalence
Markdown: https://www.lazyweb.com/research/paywall-restore-and-close-button-prevalence.md

**Answer.** Of 1,204 described paywalls in Lazyweb's corpus, at least 314 show a close/dismiss button and at least 212 show a restore-purchases link[1]. Both are common escape and utility affordances, but neither appears on a majority of documented paywalls. Include a restore link for compliance and a considered dismiss control based on how hard you want the wall to be.

> At least 314 of 1,204 described paywalls show a close button and 212 show a restore-purchases link (Lazyweb Research, July 2026).

## The finding

Scanning 1,204 canonical paywall descriptions, a close/dismiss (X or 'close') control was detected on 314 paywalls and a restore-purchases link on 212[1]. Both are lower bounds, so actual prevalence is higher — but even at face value, close buttons appear on about a quarter and restore links on roughly a sixth of documented paywalls[1].

## How to apply it

A restore-purchases link is effectively required on iOS subscription paywalls and appears on at least 212 screens[1]; include it as a standard footer link. The close button is a product decision: showing one (314 paywalls)[1] makes the wall softer and less coercive, while omitting it creates a harder wall. Match the choice to how much friction your funnel can absorb, and pair a visible close with the dismiss-role CTA data on the role-mix page.

## Caveats

Both counts are lower bounds from regex over LLM vision descriptions — a restore link or X button can be present without being described, especially small tap targets[1]. Treat 314 and 212 as floors. These are structural counts, not statements about whether dismiss affordances change conversion.

## The numbers

| Stat | Computed from |
| --- | --- |
| close/dismiss button 314; restore-purchases link 212 of 1,204 described paywalls (lower bounds) | misc_anatomy_elements: regex on vision descriptions |

## Methodology

Universe: 1,204 canonical paywall screens with a vision description across ~800 tracked apps, July 2026. Close button and restore link detected via regex on vision descriptions; both counts are lower bounds.

## Sources & citations

- [1] Lazyweb Research analysis of 1,204 described paywall screens (~800 tracked apps), July 2026. Close button and restore-purchases link detected via regex on LLM vision descriptions; both are lower bounds.

## Related questions

- [What Is the Mix of Primary, Secondary, and Dismiss CTAs on Paywalls?](https://www.lazyweb.com/research/paywall-cta-role-mix-primary-secondary-dismiss)
- [How Many Paywalls Show a Free-Trial Timeline UI?](https://www.lazyweb.com/research/paywall-trial-timeline-ui-prevalence)
- [How Many CTAs Does the Median Mobile Paywall Have?](https://www.lazyweb.com/research/how-many-ctas-median-paywall-has)